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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 Nov 2002

Vol. 556 No. 3

Written Answers. - Grant Payments.

Willie Penrose

Ceist:

262 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the application for extensification premium by a person (details supplied) in County Longford will be re-examined; if the matter will be reviewed, with a view to having the correct amount inserted and the premium paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20430/02]

The person named participated in the 2001 extensification premium opting for the simplified system. On participation he undertook to maintain a stocking density of less than 1.60 livestock units per hectare for each and every day of 2001. Prior to payment the Department is required, under EU regulations, to carry out CMMS based cross-checks to ensure that the chosen stocking densities were not breached. In this case cross-checks were carried out on 1 June and 15 October 2001 and stocking densities of 1.5921 and 1.9901 livestock units per hectare respectively were found. Recently, a CMMS based herd profile was issued to the person named. This profile listed the tagnumber of each bovine animal over the age of six months found per CMMS to have been present on the holding on 15 October 2001, the date at which the breach took place.

Under the terms of the relevant EU regulation, herdowners participating in extensification premium under the simplified system may only change between stocking densities up to 31 December 2001 provided that they had not been notified of any on-farm inspection about to take place. In view of the fact that the person named did not change to the higher stocking density of up to 2 livestock units per hectare by 31 December last, it is regretted that he cannot now be facilitated in this regard and paid at the lower €33 rate of payment.

Jimmy Deenihan

Ceist:

263 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reasons a person (details supplied) in County Limerick was refused payment for additional suckler cow quota; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20475/02]

The person named applied for additional suckler cow quota from the 2003 national reserve under category A, which catered for first time applicants for suckler cow premium in 2003 and who were under 35 years of age on 1 January 2002. Farmers who applied for the suckler cow premium for the first time in 2002 could also apply under this category provided they satisfied the age criteria. In addition, it was also a requirement for all applicants to the reserve under each category except for those farmers with holdings on offshore islands, that the total livestock units on their holdings would not exceed 50, having regard to their stock, milk quota, if any, and off-farm income.

The person named was allocated 7.2 quota rights from the 2001 national reserve and had applied for suckler cow premium in 2001 and 2002. He could not, therefore, be considered as a first time applicant in either 2002 or 2003. Furthermore, when the applicant's milk quota, stock and off-farm income were converted to livestock units, he had 63.02 units, thereby exceeding the 50 unit limit.

In the circumstances, the person named does not qualify for an allocation of suckler cow quota from the 2003 national reserve.

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